The ex-Houston Dynamo midfielder became a key player in the EPL before a series of injuries tripped him up. Now on the comeback with a number of appearances on loan with Sheffield Wednesday, Klinsmann said of Holden, "I spoke to his coach at Bolton, and spoke to his coach at Sheffield Wednesday where he played some very important minutes and games while on loan. He’s on his way back. That being said, we want to have him back in our picture. We are going to bring him for the May-June camp, and also for the Gold Cup.”

Less than a year old, Stumplings was born out of a friendship between owners Justin Prasad and Nimesh Dayal. The duo wanted to branch out, and after almost two months of planning, their cart found a home serving up dumplings to Portland’s Alberta neighborhood.

“It happened much faster than either of us expected,” said Dayal.

Prasad said he had always worked for somebody else and wanted to prove he would work on his own to succeed.

“It’s exciting because it’s our idea coming to life," said Prasad. "I just want people to connect the ‘Stumplings’ with Justin and Nimesh, and this is a great opportunity for us.”

This will be Stumplings second visit to JELD-WEN Field, after being featured during a Timbers match during the 2012 season.

During the Timbers match against the New England Revolution (7:30pm PT, ROOT SPORTS, 750 AM The Game / La Pantera 940), Stumplings will be serving orders of six dumplings for $5 at the Soccer City Grill concession stand, located above section 93. Fans can choose from Cheeky Chicken, Pompous Pork, Sassy Spinach, or a mix of two of each. Fans will also be able to chose from Asian Chipotle, Chili Hoison, or Thai Mustard sauces.

However, another noteworthy event was taking place above Section 93. The debut of the Portland Timbers Food Cart Alliance had set up shop at the Soccer City Grill concession stand. And what better cuisine for a hot summer day than Hawaiian-style plate lunches?

Childhood friends Kevin Scofield and Jensen Kip started 808 Grinds in September 2010. The Maui-raised duo brought their Hawaiian lunch creations to SW 9th and Washington in downtown Portland, and it was so popular that they were among the first food carts voted in by Facebook fans to be part of the PTFCA.

“It feels good to be voted in by our customers. There’s always a good vibe around here,” said Scofield. “A great customer experience is something that we want to accomplish, and it feels good. We’re happy to be here.”

This season, the Hawaiian boys are back. They will be setting up shop in the Soccer City Grill above Section 93 at the southeast corner of JELD-WEN Field. Not only will they be serving during the April 14th Timbers match vs. the San Jose Earthquake (7:30pm PT, NBC Sports Network, 750 AM The Game / La Pantera 940), they will also be there for the first Portland Thorns FC home match on April 21st vs. Seattle Reign FC.

This year 808 Grinds will be serving up Kalua Pig (traditional Hawaiian pulled pork) and 808 Fried Chicken (bite-size marinated chicken). Both choices will be served up with rice and macaroni salad. Single-item plates will go for $7, and combo plates will be $9.

“To be a part of the Timbers organization is very exciting for us,” Scofield added. “Not only to expand our reach, but to serve to local fans who are loyal to both us and the Timbers is a really great feeling.”

Interested in being part of the Portland Timbers Food Cart Alliance? Apply today.

During the previous home match against Montreal, the Portland Timbers Food Cart Alliance featured Nong’s Khao Man Gai. Nong’s signature chicken and rice dish with their famous ginger/soybean chili sauce as well as fried chicken wings smothered in Nong’s sweet chili glaze was a huge hit. In fact, the dishes were so popular that Nong’s sold out during the match.

If you missed out on Nong’s delicious offerings, fear not. The Portland Timbers Food Cart Alliance has invited Nong’s Khao Man Gai back to be the featured food cart for the April 6th match against the Houston Dynamo.

Nong’s will be serving up their signature chicken as well as their fried chicken wings at the Soccer City Grill concession stand located at the southeast corner of JELD-WEN Field above Section 93.

To read what Nong had to say about her love for soccer and excitement at being part of a Timbers match, click here.

Interested in being part of the Portland Timbers Food Cart Alliance? Apply today.

Portland takes great pride in being a “green” city, and the Timbers & JELD-WEN Field embrace their role with their own “green” campaign. In addition to their on-going efforts to be more eco-friendly, the Timbers are providing fans with another opportunity to contribute.

At the two home games in April (4/6 vs. Houston & 4/14 vs. San Jose), the Timbers are teaming up with E-cycle to collect and properly eco-dispose of used cell phones.

E-cycle is providing the Timbers with two collection containers that will be located at the Stand Together table in the main concourse and at the east side of the stadium. After the phones are collected, E-cycle wipes the phones completely clean of all information, so donors do not need to worry about their personal information being leaked. The batteries are then eco-disposed, the metals are melted down, and an environmental impact statement is generated for the club.

Once the value of the donated phones is determined, E-cycle will send the proceeds to the Stand Together campaign. Newer, higher quality phones such as iPhones and the Galaxy S have a higher E-cycle value. And to throw in an extra added incentive, the first 100 fans that bring in eligible phones will receive a pass to the adidas Employee Store.

The campaign begins Saturday, April 6, when the Timbers host the Houston Dynamo. So bring your old, unused cell phones, help the environment, help Stand Together and, if you get there early enough, get a pass to the adidas Employee Store. Win, win and win.

Vince and his family were recipients of the Spread the Love welcome packet for the March 9th match against Montreal.

We asked Vince a few questions about his experience at the match with his son Shaun and two daughters Alexis and McKenna:

What is your relationship to the Spread the Love ambassador?
“Suite Sue” Simpson was our ambassador. She actually gave the “welcome” packet to Neal Harrington, who unfortunately was unable to attend the match due to a last minute work conflict. In turn, Neal really embraced the “Spread the Love” mantra and shared the packet with my family.

What were you most looking forward to about attending a Timbers match?
We had never been to a Timber's game before so anticipation was high on what to expect. The kids really wanted to see Timber Joey!

What was your favorite part of the match?
The kids enjoyed watching how the game was played, the intricacies of the sport and how quickly and skillfully the players moved on and around the field.

Have you ever been to a match? If so, what was the last time you attended?
No, this was the first Timber's game we had been to. It was cool experience and very exciting.

What was your reaction when you received the "welcome" packet?
It was great - we were excited about everything. We were all very excited that we had an opportunity to go!

Interested in nominating a deserving fan? You can, here. Recipients will be selected shortly for the two Timbers home matches in April.

Saturday’s featured Portland Timbers Food Cart Alliance member is Nong’s Khao Man Gai. Nong’s will be serving their signature chicken and rice dish with their famous ginger/soybean chili sauce as well as fried chicken wings smothered in Nong’s sweet chili glaze at the Soccer City Grill concession stand located in JELD-WEN Field's southeast corner above Section 93.

But beyond all the delicious food, soccer holds a special place in the heart of Nong. Originally from Thailand, she talks about her love of soccer and excitement at being a part of a Timbers match:

I grew up playing soccer. I was a foward. Soccer is very big in Thailand, not very big for women but I could not get in other kinds of sports teams. Training for soccer has changed my life and how I look at sports. It has taught me so much as a person. Portland is a great city with a variety of people. I want the Timbers fans to experience some really good food from Bangkok. We use good ingredients and strive to be the best. We all have something in common: we love soccer!

Interested in being part of the Portland Timbers Food Cart Alliance? Apply today.

Jeff Enquist, President of PYSA & head coach of Portland City United is one of the first group of 107 Ambassadors. He’s coached in high school, college and the pros and gave his tickets to one of his employees, Sonko. Sonko grew up playing soccer in Kenya and started a club soccer program for kids aged 6-8 there. In short, soccer is Sonko's life.

“Timber Jim” Serrill--the original lumberjack who sawed logs in the North End--is also the charismatic gent who popularlized the phrase “Spread the Love” from which this whole idea originally sprang. An embodiment of Timbers passion, Timber Jim gave his tickets to young Karina. Karina battled through leukemia when she was 4--it's now in remission--and met Jim through the Leukemia Foundation. She had never been to a Timbers game before. Needless to say, she was very excited.

Rachel Harrison, another 107 Ambassador is an active community volunteer, Timbers Army supporter and committed season ticket holder. She met her friend Jessica at her church. Jessica's son plays club soccer in Portland and had never been to a match before either. Sunday's match was his first and was an instant classic.

Do you know someone whom you think is worthy? Visit www.spreadtheloveptfc.com to nominate someone you know in your community.

The ever popular Portland Timbers Food Cart Alliance (PTFCA) makes its return this Sunday as the Portland Timbers kick-off the 2013 MLS season against the New York Red Bulls (Mar. 3, 4:30pm PT, ESPN2, 750AM The Game). Begun last year, the PTFCA invites Portland-area food carts to take over the Soccer City Grill in the southeast corner of JELD-WEN Field just above Section 93. Last season saw delicious Hawaiian food, fish & chips, and a whole slew of mouthwatering goodness. This season the carts return and will be at every Timbers and Thorns match throughout the 2013 season.

Following a fan vote in the offseason, the first set of carts are locked in. See the schedule here and keep an eye out for the next fan vote in April.

The first food cart for 2013 is an apt one: Timber’s Doghouse PDX. Timber’s Doghouse is serving a variety of its signature tot bowls made with gourmet seasoned tatter tots with classic toppings such as bacon, grilled onions, and cheddar cheese. And yes, it is run by a person who's real name is Timber, Timber Adamson to be exact. She had this to say about her cart and it's presence at JELD-WEN Field:

"My dream to own a food cart began during my time in culinary school. I knew I wanted to work on my own but did not want the debt of a large restaurant. This was back before people really knew anything about food carts. There was just 2 carts downtown at 9th & Alder.

I love making people delicious food and seeing them enjoy it. Simple as that. Working as an executive chef in fine dining had its creative culinary moments, but there was a disconnect between the food and the experience As a food cart owner, I have the freedom to be creative as well as the joy of interacting with my patrons.

The eminent soccer writer Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated spent a good chunk of the preseason asking MLS players about the state of the league. In a recent article, he posted the answers to things like, "Who's the most underrated player in MLS?" and "Who's the most overrated player in MLS?"

Perhaps most interestingly for Portland fans was the question, "If you could play for one MLS team other than yours, what would it be?"

Among the top choices? The Portland Timbers.

Portland also humbly scored high on "Which team has the best MLS stadium atmosphere?" landing up there with Seattle though Wahl goes on to say,

Seattle has bigger numbers (more than 43,000 fans per game), while Portland may have an even harder core.